Families can be taught to help their children overcome anorexia nervosa, according to a leading clinical psychology researcher presenting on family-based therapy (FBT) at the recent APS Clinical Psychology Conference in Sydney. Associate Professor Susan Byrne, from the University of Western Australia, School of Psychology, and the Centre for Clinical Interventions in Perth, said "There is now a substantial evidence base to support the effectiveness of family-based therapy. We are seeing a 50-60% rate of recovery in adolescents treated with family-based therapy, and clinical trials show that the relapse rates one year and five years afterwards are much lower than with therapy that focuses on the individual only. Parents are trained to have a zero-tolerance environment for self-starvation in their home and to identify signs and symptoms of anorexia nervosa, hence keeping relapses at bay." Professor Byrne said that despite its success, family-based therapy was not widely available due to a lack of trained clinicians.